Honest view of Rapid City needed! (Rapid Valley, Box Elder: real estate, crime rate, lawyer)

[rjl78]

Originally Posted by ashnat

Just have one thing to add, as far as cleanliness goes....

What do you think of trailers? If you find them "dirty" there are thousands of them in the RC area. I do find them "dirty" and can't stand them. I think it brings down the beauty of the area. After 5 years I am "used to" them now, but still can't stand them. Where I come from, they're surrounded by 8 feet tall wooden fences, here they're just all over the place.

Other than that, the RC area is well kept and beautified, nobody does anything about the Valley tho.

I was once trailer trash, no I have not been on the show Cops. I will say this about manufactured houses. They are economical, practical. For someone starting off it was a better option than an apartment. There are nice trailers and there are trashy trailers. Just like houses and apartments.

The old joke about tornados and South Dakota divorces, no matter what happens someone is going to lose a trailer.

[DannyBanany]

I don't Rapid City has many trailer parks. In fact, I can't really think of any except the one on Saint Patrick Street across from Nash Finch. Most trailer parks are in Rapid Valley where the codes are not as strict. Some family friends have a manufactured home out there and their development looks very well kept. Very clean even. Others... not so much. The most trailers I have ever seen has been down South though. THEY'RE ALL OVER THERE!!!

But in reality, Rapid City is rather pretty. It has its patches here and there, but most cities do I guess.

[ashnat]

just my "honest" opinion, and that's what he asked for.....

Westside is pretty clear of them, except for on Deadwood Ave, Sturgis Rd.

Otherwise, they're on Lacrosse (near Walmart), Haines (behind Shopko), Campbell (south of Omaha), North St, Mt Rushmore Rd south of town past the water park, Omaha all the way to the airport starting at about the wholesale foods place. They're all over north and east of the mall. They're all along the south side of Elk Vale Rd (Valley Dr). They're along I90 in the Box Elder area. And on more streets than not in the Valley. And as you said, St Patrick.

I guess, to me, when someone asks for an opinion of RC, I think of the metro area, not just RC city limits.

[rjl78]

Honestly in Rapid most of the trailers appear to be in good repair. Box Elder is a slightly different story.

[tommyp1]

Originally Posted by Jammie

The Black Hills National Forest is owned by the Federal Govt.

OK, I'll buy it. Thanks

[tommyp1]

Originally Posted by DannyBanany

Indians own the Black Hills??? Rapid City's not bicycle friendly??? We have very cold winters???

I think you're confused. The Black Hills National Forest is not owned by any Native American tribe. They haven't been since reservations were set up in the 1800s.

Very cold winters? Aren't you from Austin, MN? I think you guys have got us beat there. Rapid City has pretty mild winters as a matter of fact. Not warm by any means, but definitely not frigid.

Not bicycle friendly? There's an entire greenway that goes through the entire city. It's faster to take the bike path to work than drive in your car. 5th Street also has a bike path running along it. As does Kansas City Street. Cowboy Hills is now a terrain of bike and jogging paths that was donated to the city. I see tons of cyclists everyday. East Boulevard probably isn't the best spot in town to ride a bike either... there are no sidewalks and it's busy.

No city types? Rapid City has more museums, and theater showings than any other city in the Dakotas. It's definitely easy to find culture in Rapid City. What do you do in Austin, MN???

Sprawl??? I thought you had to be a city to have sprawl. According to you, Rapid City's a ranch hand truck stop in the middle of Indian-owned country.

DannyBanany:Some clarification, corrections, further stuff:
Posey:
1)Hills ownership? Depends on who you talk to. The Indians still think they're sacred to them, and the "dust" comment I took from Smithsonian Magazine (about a year ago, with the 'faces' getting washed on the cover), from an Indian woman explaining their significance (to the Indians). Another poster mentioned the Feds owning the BH Nat'l Forest--that's fine.

2)RC cold?: I'll give you that it's mild with temp. swings (mentioned), but some of us aren't in warm trucks/cars, and I believe (every Winter) they found a 20 something woman frozen under the viaduct near Omaha and East Blvd. Yeh, MN is cold, grew up here, and by mistake landed back here. And I90 to Austin is 7 exits to nothing (fraudulant)!
3)Bicycle friendly? Absolutely not! Last I checked, RC hadn't even made it on the rating list of the "League of American Bicyclists" (member). In order to qualify: must have bike racks (like the library) and lanes. Fort Collins, Boulder have platinum ratings. When Allen Hanks ran for mayor, he was pictured in the RCJ with his family on bicycles. He hasn't done much for the city in this area. And you're right, I should stay off East blvd and esp. Omaha, since I'd be killed: so I ride on the sidewalks, since no ones on them anyway (but still very dangerous to be on sidewalks). And the KC bike lane (nice attempt) doesn't qualify, because it's on the side walk, and not in the street. Ask any bike shop owner which is safer: to ride on the sidewalk or in the street? Lastly, (my favorite issue) the online newspaper "Dakota Times" is trying to impact the cycling situation in RC. A gal by the name of Loy, interviewed me, and has some good thoughts on cycling in her column.

4) "city types": this was misconstrued. I was talking mainly about human/cultural communications (same everywhere, but different regionally).
I know RC's a city, 60K with 'some' culture, amenities etc. But since you mentioned the movies: they're sanitized/censored there, due to Mormon ownership (Carmike). The Elks only shows 'some' alternative. No "Religulous", Bill Maher or "Sicko", Michael Moore. I know, I was there when they came out. A 1 hospital town can't be showing a movie like "Sicko." Bad for medicine.

5) Sprawl? Of course. I think you misread my post (point about Cabella), and we have affirmed that RC's a city! Yes, most cities have sprawl. I'm old enough to remember the construction of the Interstates. But it hasn't been healthy for city growth, which is why some cities (medium-large) are gentrifiing. We've lived in our cars enough! A great book on this (where we've come from) is: "A Sprawl World Afterall" by Doug Morris.
There's something in this great USA for all. Thanks for reading my original post, and hope this helps?

[ElkHunter]

Yatahee.

Jammie blasted me the first time I posted this. Are you constured about the Paha sahpa?

[Jammie]

Yea, anyone can claim ownership to anything and it doesn't make it a fact.

If you study South Dakota history, you'll see that those "sacred" Paha Sapa weren't even entered by the Sioux until the Europeans came along and lead the way. They thought they were haunted and they feared them.

But enough talk about history for me for the day.

[rjl78]

Originally Posted by Jammie

Yea, anyone can claim ownership to anything and it doesn't make it a fact.

If you study South Dakota history, you'll see that those "sacred" Paha Sapa weren't even entered by the Sioux until the Europeans came along and lead the way. They thought they were haunted and they feared them.

But enough talk about history for me for the day.

That is the point I was trying to make. And the Sioux that reside here, came into the country after the europeans stepped foot here. It was that Arikara.

[Jammie]

Originally Posted by rjl78

That is the point I was trying to make. And the Sioux that reside here, came into the country after the europeans stepped foot here. It was that Arikara.

Exactly. The Arikara were the ones who were originally chased off by the Sioux. Do you know how few people have ever heard that? It amazed me to learn that many people never knew that.